


The Earth Remembers

by wryrose



Category: Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 4
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Emotional Baggage, Eventual Romance, F/M, Sibling Bonding, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-07
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-19 05:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14867549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wryrose/pseuds/wryrose
Summary: With Ventuswill home, Selphia thriving and the threat of the Sechs empire averted, Princess Frey should be just about ready to settle down and relax.Instead, she's dreaming memories. Another time and place, a face just like her own, a vital assignment.She saved the guardians, she saved the Divine Wind, she saved the town of Selphia. Who is there left to help?The questions everyone's ignored are finally piling up.Who is the earthmate that fell from the sky?





	1. Visions from the Deep Well

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, welcome! This takes place post-game in the world of RF4, and is a story of self-discovery for Frey due to my own unanswered questions. I'll be filling in gaps and introducing my own answers, so if they conflict with other RF titles, apologies—I haven't played 'em. Almost a year has passed since the end of the third arc, so expect spoilers from literally anything in the game. All characters are 18+. Hope you enjoy chapter one!

_All the elements have a voice. Fire is passion and life; water is healing and emotion. Wind is freedom and thought. What, then, would earth try to tell you, if you could only listen?_

 

Midsummer was almost here, and there was much for a town's princess to do.

“Arthur?” Frey called. She sat cross-legged on his floor, though he'd playfully reminded her again that he did own _chairs._ She'd shrugged as usual and smiled, happy to sit surrounded by mountains of books and paperwork and a cup of tea that was definitely getting cold. Whoops.

“Yes, Frey?” came the muffled reply.

Frey peeked out from her wall of books to see Arthur's head poking out from the top of the stairwell. She grinned foolishly, and he shared the moment with a small smile.

“I need your signature as town royalty on the safety documents for the Midsummer festival,” Frey explained. She poked said document, laid carefully on a makeshift surface of yet more books, with her feather-quill pen.

“Certainly,” he agreed, heading down the stairs into his study with a pile of his own work. Setting it on his desk, he knelt down to Frey's kingdom of paper, looking impressed. “We really should look into expanding your room so you may have your own study. Not that I mind the company,” he added hastily. “But sitting like this can't be easy on your back.”

“Nonsense,” Frey mumbled, chewing on the tip of her quill. “Ah, gross, ink! Ink on my tongue!”

Arthur smiled and produced a new quill from _somewhere,_ singing his name with a graceful swoop. “As acting princess of Selphia, aren't you authorized to sign such things yourself?”

Frey's words were muffled by the handkerchief she held against her tongue. “Yeah, but these are safety procedure papers.”

“What did I just agree to?” Arthur asked wearily.

“In the event of a disaster where I'm indisposed, you're in charge,” Frey said cheerfully. Truly, nothing got under this girl's skin.

But then, she wasn't a _girl_ anymore, was she? With her twenty-first birthday having just passed in Spring, she supposed she should be called a woman now.

Weird.

“Ah,” Arthur said. “Well, that I can understand.”

Arthur's grandfather clock chimed for six p.m., and Frey blinked in surprise. She'd been working like this since noon. Rubbing her eyes and stretching, she became aware of her surroundings once more. Arthur's study was such a comfortable place, the scents of various teas and spices helping her relax, while the bustling sounds of the restaurant in the other room made her feel less isolated while she worked.

“Wow,” Frey said sheepishly. “Okay, maybe I need a break. I am a bit sore.”

“I can imagine,” Arthur said kindly. “This is on top of your usual workload, after all, and a farm is no joke.”

“It's just, I want everything to be _perfect,”_ Frey said, rolling up her parchments and permission forms. “This is my fourth year here, but I've never tried an event like this. The request was there, but I wasn't ready for something of this scale. There's gonna be food, music, entertainment, fireworks,” she listed, counting off on her fingers, “dancing, magic, fireworks...”

“You said fireworks twice.”

“Fireworks are important,” Frey said. “Anyway, I guess I might be pushing it, but I've got this under control, I promise.”

“I know you do,” Arthur said honestly. “Now, let me help you get these books back to your room.”

Frey beamed. “Thanks, Arthur. What would I do without you?”

“Make a mess of your own floor, I suppose,” he said playfully, lifting a stack of books.

“Oh, never,” she grinned. “There's always someone to pester.”

Dylas and Margaret stepped out to help with the books, chatting with her about the plans, which Frey excitedly indulged. But the summer sun was hidden behind clouds, and a few drops of rain fell.

“Better hustle,” Margaret said.

As they walked, Frey's focus drifted from her friends. Dressed in simple work trousers and a white blouse, she shouldn't be sweating so much. A tingling feeling swept up her back and into the base of her skull, making her shiver. A ringing filled her ears, and she blinked in confusion.

_“Frey..”_

Who was that? A male voice. One she knew. It sounded far away, like music through water.

Then more voices, these ones much closer.

“Are you alright?”

“Frey?”

Frey was standing at her own door with no idea how she'd gotten there.

“What?” she said hoarsely. “Oh. Sheesh, sorry, guys. Guess I zoned for a second there. Too much reading,” she laughed weakly.

All three of them stared at her, eyebrows raised.

“Uh,” Dylas said awkwardly. “No offense, Frey, but that's horseshit.”

“You said 'horse',” she teased, delighted at his instant red face. “I'm fine, honestly. Just spaced.” And she _was_ fine. Now, at least.

 _Okay,_ she admitted silently. _Maybe I need to get out of this heat and rest for a bit. That_ was _kinda weird._

But she couldn't tell them that, because then they'd worry and she'd never get everything prepared in time. “Thanks for the help,” she said brightly when they didn't reply. They watched her as they put her books back in her basement which, these days, seemed determined to become a library. When she didn't collapse and continued to seem chipper as ever, they seemed satisfied enough for now.

“If you get sick, go to Dr. Jones right away,” Margaret said sternly, finger raised. “No use getting a summer fever, okay?”

“No fevers for me,” Frey agreed. “Yuck.”

“Yeah, those pretty much suck,” Dylas said. “But if you get one, we'll watch out for you. Uh,” he blushed, backtracking, “B-because, uh, you're the Princess, and—damn it, just be careful!”

She smiled. Even after she and Arthur, with Ventuswill's guidance, had revealed that Frey was not, in fact, true royalty but an earthmate with no past, the town didn't seem to change their view of her one bit. They insisted that as long as she wanted to lead, they were more than happy with their princess. Then, as such things go, she eventually was officially recognized as a town princess. Though her power was confined to Selphia's borders, within this territory, she was technically royalty. She had the paperwork to prove it.

Even now, Frey was always touched by their faith in her, from festivals to fights. “Of course, you guys,” she grinned. “I'm always careful.”

Margaret raised her eyebrows, and Dylas just snorted.

Arthur chuckled. “Rest up, Frey. Work will wait. We'll see you later.”

“Take it easy,” Dylas called on his way out.

“Until later!” Frey answered.

 

 

Frey did not take it easy.

Waking up feeling fine, she went about her morning chores cautiously but with growing optimism as she felt healthy as ever. The dizziness spell was in the back of her mind, but it faded from thought as morning turned to noon. She took her monsters out for a graze, then spent half the day shearing wool off for the summer heat and separating what she'd keep and what she'd sell. Some would be donated to Dolce and Blossom for their crafting. Maybe a little for Clorica, too. She'd mentioned wanting to try her hand at fabric work. Night came as she felt tired as usual, ready for bed but not _sick._

 _Must have been a fluke,_ she thought dreamily against her pillow. _The heat or somethin'...._

A few days passed. Occasionally she felt worn out or dizzy, but she chalked it up to the heat. Humming to herself, she made pancakes for dinner just because she could and brought some to Ventuswill, whose delight was heard throughout the whole castle. Frey sat right down on the floor with her cart of pancakes, laughing and catching up with Venti as she made sure to several times a week. The Divine Will Ventuswill was adjusting well to her life in Selphia, even loosening up with the villagers. The sight made Frey's heart swell. Venti was, after her, her first friend. On her way out, the dragon called after her.

Frey paused. “What's up, Venti?”

“Hmmm,” Venti rumbled, a breeze stirring around them both. Warmth filled Frey from the inside, and suddenly she felt as if she hadn't worked a minute all day.

“Woah, what'd you do?” Frey asked.

“Your runes were sagging a little,” Venti said, cocking her head. “I restored your rune points. It's not something I do often—humans shouldn't rely on the strength of gods—but, well...”

“Yes..?” Frey coaxed.

“Oh, you sly thing,” Venti scolded, tail lashing. The evening light fell on her in golden chunks, thick as maple syrup, and Frey could hear cicadas and crickets waking up outside. “You've been working too hard. I may be a god, but I'm also your friend. Get some rest! I don't wanna see your runes so low again!”

“You got it,” Frey said. “Thanks. I didn't realize it, but, well, I was a bit tired,” she admitted.

“I thought so,” Venti said. “Hmph. Go on. I know you're late.”

“I'll see you later, Venti.” Grinning, Frey hugged her before running out, leaving the native dragon grumbling to herself about stubborn mortals, her own runes glowing with joy.

 

 

Frey found Forte in the courtyard, standing tall as she waited. The golden light was growing softer, and the summer sun was _finally_ easing up for the night. This was the perfect time of day to fit in some _real_ exercise _._

“Frey,” Forte greeted fondly. Dressed in her usual impressive armor, she carried two practice swords of blunted metal. They'd long since graduated from wooden rods; you could only break so many before it was time to move on. “How was your day?”

“Productive,” Frey said cheerfully. “I just had pancakes with Venti too, so fun.”

Forte looked briefly surprised, then smiled. As a dragon knight it had been especially hard for her view of Venti to shift from _god_ to _friend,_ but she was getting there. “I'm glad. So,” she continued smoothly, “do your best. We've got an audience tonight.”

“Wha--” Frey looked behind Forte and spotted Leon leaning lazily against the castle wall, dressed simply in green trousers and thick brown sandals. These days he only wore his ancient attire when he was acting as a priest. “Wow, Forte, your senses are sharp.”

“Aw, Forte, that's no fun,” Leon mock-pouted. “I wanted to be an unseen observer tonight.”

“Quit your spying,” Forte said, slightly exasperated. She'd grown to like Leon, but his idea of fun still clashed with hers.

Frey caught the sword Forte tossed her, shaking out her arms and legs. “She's all mine tonight, lover boy,” Frey teased with a wink.

Leon raised his eyebrows. “Well, now I'm glad I'm spying.”

Forte's face turned red, and Leon grinned and raised his hands in surrender. “I'm sorry, Forte, you just make it so easy!”

Frey just shook her head, laughing. She and Forte sparred almost every other night, and sometimes people came to watch.

“You behave,” Forte ordered, pointing her practice sword at Leon, who did his best to look innocent. “Ready, Frey?”

“Born ready,” she answered with a grin. Usually she let Forte make the first move so, to surprise her, tonight Frey ran straight at her with a battle cry.

Forte blocked her firmly, then forced Frey a step back before feinting right with a swing of her sword. Frey ducked and jabbed but Forte deflected, the scrape of metal echoing in the empty courtyard.

They dodged back and forth for a few moments, warming up. Forte made steady progress forward, forcing Frey back one step at a time. Forte's heavyweight style was a healthy challenge for a nymph like Frey, physically and mentally. On top of that the dragon knight had beautiful form and movement, her blade an extension of herself.

Luckily these were practice swords, of equal weight and length. Forte couldn't bully her out of the ring as easily without her longsword.

Forte spun forward and caught Frey's blade with her own. “Are we dancing or fighting, Frey?”

“We can't do both?” Frey asked. They grinned at each other, then Frey darted around Forte and swung at her neck. Forte ducked and jabbed, and Frey leaped backward into a handspring, landing nimbly on her feet.

Leon whistled appreciatively.

“Impressive,” Forte said. “Try that against this!”

“Woah!” Frey braced herself as Forte came at her in a flurry of movement, hitting hard and fast enough to force Frey back against the castle wall. Finally, Forte slid her sword under Frey's and twisted so Frey's fell out of her hands. A cool metal touched her neck, and Frey's hands went up in surrender.

“That's a match,” Leon said. “And a good one, too. The two of you are never boring.”

“I've got a lot of practicing to do if I wanna catch up with the dragon knight,” Frey said earnestly, “but I sure have fun trying.”

Forte blushed delicately, looking pleased. “Your sparring skills are developing steadily, Frey,” she said. “On top of that, out in the field fighting monsters, you're a force of nature. It's a very different art to fight other people, is all.”

“What would you do if someone used battle magic on you in a duel?” Leon asked curiously.

“My armor is enchanted against most known spells,” Forte explained. “The metal is an heirloom of the dragon knight, reforged to fit each new one to hold the rank.”

“That's amazing,” Frey said, wiping sweat off her forehead. “As for me, well, I like to fight with magic just fine, but Forte and I don't use it in these spars 'cause the point is to work on our basics and reflexes.”

“Makes sense,” Leon said, stroking his chin. “And I suppose you know field healing magic, Forte.”

“Yes,” she agreed, “as well as some weaponry spells, but that's about as far as my magic ability goes. Never had much of an aptitude for it, not for lack of effort.”

Leon nodded with interest. “Well, thanks for entertaining me, ladies.”

Forte huffed, looking up at the sky, which barely hung onto daylight. The courtyard lanterns, an alchemic invention, began glowing dimly. “Alright, Leon. Let's do this.”

Leon's face went blank, but his tail flicked playfully. “I'm sure I don't know what you mean.”

Forte snorted. “Come on, I know you're dying to try your hand at a spar. You're practically bouncing.”

“I am not,” Leon retorted, but then smiled, a light in his eyes. “But, well, is it alright with you two?”

“Scared?” Frey taunted, dusting off her trousers and stretching her arms.

Leon's ears flicked. “Some women were dedicated to the warrior life in my day, but it was surprising to see others practicing fighting for the joy of it in this time,” he admitted. “At first.”

He seemed a bit embarrassed, so Frey patted his shoulder. “It's alright, Leon. You'll feel better when you get your butt kicked by a modern girl. Then you'll understand it.”

Forte choked on a laugh, covering her mouth, and Leon's eyes narrowed.

“We'll see about that,” he said. Lifting his hand, a golden light flashed and his halberd, a two-handed spear, manifested from nothing. Silver and dark in the lantern light, the thing was taller than Frey. “Sorry, I don't have a practice weapon. How's this?”

“Well, which one of us do you want to fight?” Forte asked. “You can just borrow one of ours.”

“You can both come at me,” Leon said flippantly. “Just keep it interesting.”

“You wanna fight us both?” Frey asked skeptically.

Forte shrugged, trying to hide her eagerness at this new challenge. “Alright, but if you're so keen to be _interesting_ , let's kick it up a notch.” She drew her longsword, the metal ringing. “Frey?”

Frey was grinning. She summoned her dual blades, her weapon of choice when she couldn't use magic staffs. Forte touched all the weapons with her fingertips, closing her eyes.

“There,” she said. “I dulled them with magic.”

“This is an antique,” Leon disapproved.

“Don't worry, the spell is easily removed,” she assured. “This way the risk of injury is much lower, though they're still heavy weapons capable of breaking bones, so watch yourselves.”

“Alright,” Frey said. “Let's do this.”

They spread out into a circle, Leon pacing, every inch the wild fox. Frey had seen him fight monsters in self-defense--he wasn't weak, but she had no idea what he'd be like to spar. Forte was right; fighting people was very different from monsters. Frey had gotten too comfortable against Forte. She needed a new opponent.

But that comfort gave them an advantage. With a glance, Forte told Frey to cover her back as she leaped forward with a cry, longsword glinting against yellow lantern light. Leon swung his halberd in an arc, sliding it under the sword so he could twist around Forte, but Frey was there, twirling at him with her blades, fast like the wind aspect she'd used to forge them. Her twin ponytails swept around and stuck to her sweaty neck.

Leon was more than competent--he was amazing, able to hold his own against them both for entire minutes in a display of wit and strength. Frey's speed and size made her hard for him to catch, especially with Forte's strength and skill to back her up, but still he kept on. He'd look one way then strike the next, making foresight and trickery his personal weapons.

The halberd passed over Frey's chin as she bent backward to dodge it. Time slowed; the halberd 's silver flashed bright, and her vision swam. Again she felt briefly like the world had flooded, like everything was far away.

_“Frey, you'll have to work harder,” her opponent taunted._

_“I don't have to work to beat_ you _, dummy!” A voice teased--her own voice._

_The wind stirred, dry leaves crinkling across the dirt. Somewhere nearby a campfire blew embers upward, the smell of salted meat in the air. The soil was soft under her bare feet, cool between her toes, distracting her._

_“Suit yourself,” her opponent shrugged, then swept his staff under her legs._

Frey landed on her back, the air leaving her lungs, and found Leon's halberd pointed down at her.

“You alright?” Leon asked, offering her a hand.

She took it, feeling dazed. The vision blew apart like smoke. “Yeah, yeah, I--I'm fine. Is that a match?”

Leon shrugged. “You seemed a bit out of it, so if you're not finished, I wouldn't mind giving you another chance.”

“How gracious,” Forte joked. “Sure you're okay, Frey? It's not like you to space out.”

“Oh?” Leon asked. “Doesn't she just seem the type to daydream? It must be those big green eyes. I imagine they give you trouble with men.”

“I wouldn't know,” Frey said, “since I'm always surrounded by _boys.”_

“Yeah, she's fine,” Leon laughed, then swung his Halberd back up.

The fight continued, but the momentum changed. Frey and Forte closed in, but Leon blocked both their blades at once with either side of his halberd, using his size to shove Frey off balance before throwing a jab of the spear's blunt end at Forte, who twisted up the length of the weapon and put the tip of her sword to Leon's forehead.

“Well,” Leon said. “I yield.”

Forte sheathed her sword. “Leon, I had no idea you had such skill with your halberd,” she said admiringly.

“Are you saying you assumed I carried a weapon I couldn't use?”

Forte turned pink. “I—It's--that's not what I--”

“Kidding,” Leon said, just as Frey was about to scold him. These spars had Forte in her zone, confident and fun, and Frey didn't want that to get ruined.

Frey chimed in, “Most people think you mostly fight with magic.”

“Well, a mage's spar is an entirely different story,” Leon said, a dangerous smile on his face, “but sometimes people don't walk away from those. Maybe Kiel would like to try? I hear he's--”

“Absolutely not!” Forte yelled.

 _Well,_ Frey thought, _can't ask him to completely ditch his nature._

“He's kidding,” Frey said soothingly. “Or he's in trouble with me.”

“Terrifying,” Leon said. “We wouldn't want that.”

Forte took a deep breath. “Okay. Well. Anyway, I wanted to say, Leon, you....should join us again sometime. I—think we all have much to teach each other.”

Frey actually witnessed Leon's expression shift as he decided against teasing her when she was finally starting to warm up to him. “If you'll have me, I'd like that, thank you.”

“Good, 'cause I just learned I could use some new opponents,” Frey said.

“It's good to switch it up when you can,” Forte agreed.

“Definitely. Well, I'm tired,” Frey said with a yawn. “Should probably hit the hay.”

Forte disenchanted their weapons, then the three said goodnight as Frey went inside the castle, sore but happy. She didn't see the worried look they exchanged in her wake.

“Odd,” Leon said. “I'm not sure I've ever seen that girl tired.”

“Margaret did mention something about her seeming strange the other day,” Forte mused. “Maybe she's getting sick?”

Leon tsked. “Not surprising, with all the work she does.”

Then the two realized they were having a real conversation one on one, and Forte paused awkwardly as Leon's smile grew sly.

“I guess we'll just keep an eye on her,” Forte said, and that was that.

 

 

_Is she sleeping?_

_Yes. She's been working very hard._

_She's dreaming._

_She's happy._

_She's content._

_But she's forgotten._

_She's empty._

_Hollow._

_Four years of memory._

_Practically a child._

_Completed her quest._

_But abandoned everything else._

_Frey, you've forgotten!_

 

 

Frey woke with a start, clutching her heaving chest. The clock on her wall said _3:04 a.m._ Everything was utterly still and silent.

Breathing deeply, Frey flopped back against her pillow. Her heart rate gradually slowed. What had been so scary? She'd heard voices in her dream but couldn't remember what they'd said. It'd seemed important, but she was so tired...

She closed her eyes.

 

 

The next afternoon, just as Frey had finished her morning chores, Vishnal appeared at her door.

“Guests for you, Princess,” he said formally. It didn't bother her like it used to—she knew this was the butler's way of life, and asking him not to call her _Princess_ hurt his feelings. Plus, now that she was acting as the town's real princess, it felt less like a lie.

“Great, send 'em on in—wait, I wasn't expecting anyone. Who is it?” Frey asked absently as she finished her lunch smoothie.

“It's---ah, hey, wait,” Vishnal protested as Dylas and Margaret came in,

“You,” Dylas pointed at Frey. “Get changed into your swimsuit.” The two of them were dressed to swim, and Dylas carried a fishing rod and a basket.

Margaret sighed. “Manners, Dylas! Frey, sorry to just show up like this, but you've been working so hard for the town and it's so hot today....Arthur suggested you might need a break, so he and Porcoline have got things covered for a few hours. We even got a picnic on the house,” she winked.

“Arthur's got _me_ in trouble for over-working, so he takes an extra shift?” Frey asked skeptically.

Dylas snorted. “Just change and come on. You know you want to.”

Frey considered it. It couldn't really hurt; she was ahead of schedule.

“Alright,” she conceded. “Wanna come, Vishnal?”

He hesitated. “Well...I have work to be doing, unfortunately. Perhaps next time?”

“Aw, too bad,” Margaret said.

“It makes me proud that you're so diligent, Vishnal!” Mr. Volkanon said.

Everyone jumped.

“Say something sooner next time,” Dylas muttered, frazzled.

“Thank you, Mr. Volkanon,” Vishnal said humbly. “I've got much to learn, and I intend to do my best.”

“Yes, yes, good, and yet,” Volkanon said, “you young people didn't get to celebrate Beach Day because of the late typhoon. Why not spend some time outdoors?”

“That's true,” Frey said. “We didn't get around to it after that.”

“If it's really alright,” Vishnal said, smiling. “It could be fun. Shall we get Clorica?”

 

Inviting people on their way to the beach caused a flurry of running feet and laughter. People put their work down as their princess fluttered by with an ever-growing group, sensing the chance for fun. Before long, almost everyone in town was crowding the beach, turning their little swim party into an impromptu Beach Day. Even Arthur showed up after a while, looking a bit shy as everyone cheered for him from the water.

The sun was beating down, and Jones and Nancy handed out a cream to protect them from its rays. Frey laughed as Amber coaxed Dolce, who looked a bit self-conscious without her usual layers, into the water, even as Pico pretended to swim. Xiao Pai brought a beach ball, and they played games for a while until Leon and Kiel arrived.

“How'd it take so long for us to hear about this?” Kiel asked, feigning hurt.

“It's a mystery,” Illuminata called. She was sprawled out in the grass, enjoying the sun. “Maybe because you were holed up in your room?”

Kiel laughed.

Leon considered this, a flick of his tail promising mischief. “That may be true,” he said. “Perhaps you should get a fresh perspective.”

“Watch out, Kiel!” Frey yelled, but too late. Leon picked Kiel up and tossed him in the water.

“ _Leon!”_ Forte chastised. But Kiel was laughing even harder than the culprit, so she let it go.

Frey, who'd gotten out of the water to greet them, laughed too. Leon flashed her a wicked grin.

“You need a hand in too, Princess?” he asked.

“You couldn't catch me if your life depended on it,” she said casually.

“I've got longer legs than you. I'll bet I'm faster,” Leon said, tapping his fan against his chin.

“We'll see about that!” Frey said, then leaped into the water. Leon laughed and followed.

After a bit of foolish splashing around, Doug suggested they play chicken.

“How's that played?” Dylas asked cautiously. “We didn't have that in my time.”

“Easy, two people get someone on their shoulders and the one on top tries to push the other off,” Doug explained. Clorica woke up on her towel in the grass around then, and she ended up on his shoulders while Amber got on Vishnal's, who seemed both delighted and embarrassed to be  playing. Dolce laughed into her hand as Amber managed to shove both Clorica and Doug backwards in the water.

“She's air aligned,” Forte laughed. “You think you're safe since she's so light, but it seems like the wind's on her side.”

“Our turn,” Leon announced. “Come on, Frey.”

“I wasn't aware we were a team,” Frey said.

“Suit yourself, but I doubt you're getting anyone on _your_ shoulders,” he shrugged.

“Fair,” she laughed. Frey got on Leon's shoulders and faced their opponents, Dylas and Forte.

“Wuh-oh, that's gonna be tough,” Frey said.

“Bring it on,” Leon grinned.

Forte and Frey linked hands, trying to throw each other off balance.

“You're getting stronger, Frey!” Forte praised. “This would've been easy last summer!”

“All thanks to you!” Frey said. Forte finally threw her off Leon, but they demanded a rematch, and then best two out of three when Forte won again.

On Leon's shoulders for round three, laughing and surrounded by friends on all side, Frey felt excited and full of joy. The runes around them were dancing, twirling around in the crowd's energy.

 _Wait,_ Frey thought, _those aren't runeys, they're just...runes. Since when could I see--_

Then Dylas and Forte rushed forward and her vision swam, making a blur of them both. Frey blinked, her mind filled with fog.

_“If you do this, there's no turning back.”_

_“I know. I know that.”_

_“Have you tied up loose ends?”  
A pause. Then, “We've done what we can.”_

_“I see. We'll be waiting for you on the other side.”_

Water. Water everywhere, filled with runes.

Kiel's voice, distant. “Hey, look at Frey. Does she seem okay? I heard she's been feeling weird...”

Leon's voice, closer. “Here we come!”

Forte's eyes widened as she realized too late that Frey wasn't fighting back.

“Frey?”

Frey fell backward off Leon's shoulders and landed in the sea.

_What?_

What was happening?

The water was dark and far, far deeper than it should've been. Colder, too. She sank down without fighting, staring in confusion at the fading sunlight from the surface. Runes floated all around her--primal, ancient symbols that blurred when she got near.

Then she saw a group of people speaking with a boy and a girl.

_“So you're earthmates,” one said. “That's powerful magic, but it doesn't make you invincible.”_

The voice echoed in her head.

 _“This spell you two speak of,” another said._ “ _It's not to be taken lightly.”_

 _“We know,” said the boy._ _“But we have to do this.”_

That voice. Frey knew that voice.

_Then the girl spoke, and it was even more familiar. It was her own voice.“We've thought this through, guys. It's gotta be done.”_

_Frey realized the girl was herself, backwards—this must be how others saw her, rather than her own reflection in a mirror._

_“And what_ is _this spell?” another voice asked. “What is it called?”_

_And then in the water, the boy took his hood off and looked directly through Frey._

_It was her face. But not. He had her face, with shorter blonde hair and light eyes--_

_“Etherlink,” he said softly._

Frey gasped for air. The world went back to how it should be—the beach was not a deep sea, and it was summer, and warm, but still Frey fought.

“Jones!” Leon barked. He had pulled her out of the water, carrying her to shore. Frey realized this but couldn't stop her body from fighting against his hold. “Frey, Frey---calm down. It's me. We've got you.”

“Let go! I have to go back!” she cried.

Jones strode forward. “Leon, lower her to the ground carefully,” he said. “If this is a seizure she could fall and hurt herself.”

Leon did so, but then he and Jones both had to brace her so she didn't run back for the water.

“What's wrong with Frey?” Dylas demanded, sloshing through the water to shore.

“What's going on?” Amber whimpered.

“It's alright, Amber, Jones and Nancy will treat her,” Dolce said, pulling the girl back a few steps. Her play at calm was forced.

With everyone gathering around her, Frey felt her breath grow short. She twisted, trying to break away.

“What can I do to help?” Arthur asked.

“Space, please, everyone,” Nancy said.

Jones hands passed over her. “Her runes are dramatically low.”

“Let me _go!”_ Frey growled. “He's still in there!”

“Woah, who's still in there?” Doug asked.

Suddenly, Frey was filled with weakness. She held the image of the blonde boy in her mind, heard the word _Etherlink_ over and over and over.

“My brother,” Frey said. “My twin Lest!”

And everything went black.

 


	2. The Pause at the Precipice

_All becomes rubble at the hands of time; air, water and fire flow, transforming what they encounter. Though we may turn from it, the truth of all things is written in stone. If one had the will to look and the heart to listen, they might find what they seek in the earth, where the memory of ancient days remains untarnished._

 

Her first memory was landing on a dragon.

That couldn’t be her _real_ first memory, of course, but it was all Frey had. She clung to it like a lifeline, often caught herself replaying that day in her mind, cementing it as if that could protect it from being whisked away like the rest of her life.

Though she was far too busy to dwell on daydreams, that first day in Selphia chased her in her sleep, and more often than not, she dreamed of falling.

Falling onto a goddess that chided her, did her best to stay distant and failed again and again throughout time. Falling into a community that welcomed her with open arms, even if they should’ve been suspicious. Falling into her work, the routine of it, and falling in love with her farm, her friends, her town of Selphia.

This dream wasn’t like that.

In this dream, she fell into the cool, deep sea, and opened her eyes blearily.

 _Where am I?_ The space around her was a peaceful blue, alight with thousands of glowing little runes. She waved a hand at them; they parted with chimes and a low, deep hum.

Familiar. _This_ was familiar, in a way nothing had been since she’d first hit her head on the Divine Will.

 _The rune sea,_ her mind provided. Some inner knowing, a buried phrase raised to the surface. _I’m back._

Just like that, her heartbeat raced, her mouth dried out, the palms of her hands shaking as her mind filled with images she didn’t understand: people in the forest, a house by golden fields, a face just like her own.

Why was this familiar?

 

Jones ran his palms over Frey’s face, his fingertips glowing as he encouraged her runes to replenish with magic. In the Tiny Bandage Clinic, the hour was late, and blackout curtains blocked the moonlight, the doctor preferring artificial lamp light. Electricity, Leon had learned, was a useful thing. Candles and light spells could only go so far.

Finally, Jones straightened with a quiet sigh.

Leon raised his head from where he sat on a chair in the corner, well out of the way, where he’d been for hours now. Forte, keeping some sort of knightly vigil by the entrance, also turned to Jones, her face tight.

“You can relax,” Jones said wearily. “She’s stable, has been for hours. Like I said earlier, I’m only giving her periodic sessions of healing, trying to encourage her rune flow.”

“And it’s still low?” Forte asked. She’d been standing like that, hands resting on the pommel of her sword, for hours. Silent. Vigilante. Leon respected the hell out of her; he’d sat down as soon as Nancy shooed him away from the cot.

“Yes,” Jones frowned. “Low rune count can mean many things: sickness, overuse of magic--overwork in general, really.”

Leon snorted quietly. “She’s certainly guilty of that.”

Forte shot him a look. “We don’t need to be _blaming_ her now of all times, Leon.”

Unlike her to be temperamental, but--it’d been a long day. Leon raised a hand in apology, noting Forte’s shoulders sag as she nodded. “So what does it mean for her?”

“Honestly, we can’t be sure just yet,” Jones said. “But in this case I’m thinking it has something to do with the block on her memories. Ventuswill told you she’d tried curing Frey’s amnesia once herself--when was this exactly?”

“The first time they met, just over four years ago.” Leon had made several trips back and forth, ferrying messages between Venti and Jones. “But even her power didn’t work. She said the memories simply weren’t there--nothing to pull to the surface, no wall to break through.”

“But Frey clearly had some sort of episode at the beach, likely a memory if what she said about her brother is accurate,” Jones said.

“So they’re coming back now?” Forte asked. “But--why so suddenly?”

“The trigger could be anything,” Jones said. “Right now, it’s unclear.”

“Some things lay dormant for years on end,” Leon offered, folding his hands. “The other guardians and I weren’t very active as monsters for eras, until the rune spheres got close. Something must have caused this.”

Jones nodded. “The fact is that her memories likely _are_ coming back, and it’s not going to be easy on her. This could be messy for about a hundred reasons, and that’s just health-wise.” Jones rubbed the back of his neck. “Poor kid’s in for a hard time.”

“Well,” Leon said, leaning back, “whatever the trouble, we’ll see her through it. Right, Dragon Knight?”

Forte scrutinized Leon; he saw the search for sincerity in her eyes. His face was a mask, flat and severe, and Forte dipped her chin. “Of course. Although a Dragon _Priest_ might be more useful in something like this than a knight.”

“She’ll need all her friends support,” Jones said. “But, Leon--it might be good luck, having a priest in town. I understand your training involved providing counsel, guiding people through spiritual problems?”

“I’m surprised you know that, since Selphia hasn’t had a priest in ages. You’re pretty well informed.”

Jones shrugged. “I like to read, history in particular.”

Forte asked, “So? Are you going to help her?”

Leon met their expectant looks and tapped his fan to his chin. “Of course. It’s bound to be interesting.”

 

Frey’s breath caught, a shriek stuck in her throat. Yes, this was the rune sea, and this time, she’d be trapped here. She knew it.

_….she just needs to sleep off the healing spells. It takes a lot out of the body to regenerate runes from such a low level._

Voices, mummering, drifting in and out of her hearing. Were they the ones from before, the voice of some past version of herself and her--her brother?

_….done all we can, for now. We’ll call you when she wakes, or if anything changes._

_I’ll stay, if you don’t mind._

No--not memories. That was Jones and Leon. Their voices filtered down through the sea like sunlight, and she strained to hear them.

 _I want to stay with her, too._ That was Forte. Frey’s heart clenched at the thought of having worried them. She needed to tell them she was alright.

 _A knight to guard the princess. Seems fitting enough,_ Leon said. 

_You two have been here all night. There’s your own health to consider,_ Jones protested.

_Worried? I’m flattered, but it’s only one bad night. Besides, aren’t you the one who needs rest now?_

_Just one bad night,_ Jones quoted. _It’s part of a doctor’s Job._

_Yes. And I suppose dark circles are too._

_Leon,_ Forte warned. _It’s part of_ our _job as friends, Jones, to stick with her._

_Well...I suppose until morning can’t hurt. Permanently, at least. Just make sure you rest up tomorrow._

Frey’s chest felt tight; she could hardly believe her friends’ dedication.

Suddenly, the sea was gone; she felt the stiff cot under her, smelled the disinfectants and the herbs Nancy would crush with her mortar and pestle, heard Leon’s voice clear as day as he said, “We will. Get some rest, Jones. Forte and I will watch over her tonight.”

She could cry for relief at being _here,_ but the weight of sleep pulled her back down. She felt a twinge of fear, but somehow, under the soft blanket and listening to her friends hushed voices, she knew she wasn’t going to see the rune sea again tonight, or any visions either. For now, she was safe.She’d tell them she was alright soon. She was so tired. She’d just rest a few moments…

 

Frey woke with a start, jumping forward with a hand pressed to her chest.

It was dark; the curtains were half-drawn, revealing a waning moon dimmed by clouds. Where was her alarm clock? The red numbers usually stood out--

“Well,” came a quiet voice. “A bit early for ‘good mornings’.”

Leon. Right--she was in the clinic.

“I---uh,” she tried, her voice so hoarse she could barely speak.

“Here,” Leon said, standing up. In the dark, he crossed the room like a shadow, handing her a glass of water. It’d been sitting for a while; the condensation wet her hands. She took it gratefully and drank it all in one go.

“Impressive,” Leon said. “Is that better?”

“Much.” Frey sighed, flopping back down. Her head pounded lightly; she tugged each ponytail loose, running her fingers through her hair to ease the tangles. “What time is it? What happened after I passed out? Why is Forte passed out on the other cot? Is she okay?” Frey could barely make out her friend’s shape, but the light snores were unmistakable, familiar from Margaret’s sleepovers. Her cape was drawn over her like a blanket, her booted feet twisted in the sheets.

“Forte had the night watch the day before, so she’d been awake for over forty-eight hours,” Leon explained. “The rest can wait for morning.”

“But...” she trailed off, feeling lightheaded. “Jeez, what did they give me?”

“Your runes were too low, so Jones gave you a few healing sessions over the last few hours to bring them back up,” Leon explained. “Anyone would feel off after that. Even reckless overachievers like you.”

“Oh,” she said. “I’ll get you back for that when my head stops spinning.” Their voices were hushed, and Forte snored on. The clinic clock ticked steadily as she tried to gather her wits, and she noticed a tiny magic stone glowing dim by an open book where Leon had been seated. “Um, about earlier…”

“It will wait,” Leon said, sounding serious for once. “You really should rest.”

“I had to tell you something,” she said, but the feverish state she’d been in earlier, that tang of fear from her dream, was all but gone.

“What is it?”

“That I’m okay,” she said simply. Might as well.

“Ah, of course. Well, then, why not join me for a nice jog home?”

“Don’t tease,” she chided. “I’m _injured._ ”

“I thought you were okay.”

“Semantics.” She waved a hand sleepily.

She expected a rebuttal, but he just asked, “Okay or otherwise, do you need anything else?”

She eyed him where he stood by her cot, seeing his even expression as her vision gradually adjusted to darkness. “You’re being awfully nice.”

His ear flicked. “Don’t be silly. I’m always nice.”

“Ha, ha, sure. And I always sleep in the clinic.”

“You won’t divert me, troublemaker,” he said easily. “You need to rest.”

“That’s more like it. I was worried for a sec.” Her eyes drifted shut, the pull of sleep enticing despite her protests.

“We couldn’t have that. I’d hate you to think I’d gone soft,” Leon teased, but his voice _was_ soft, the words lacking bite. “I’ll say it once more and then you’re in trouble: go back to sleep.”

“Mmmm? What’s that?” she asked, already drifting off again.

He huffed a laugh. “Goodnight, Princess.”

 

The smell of flowers woke Frey up--a welcome change from nightmares or memories or _whatever_. She laid there for a few minutes before opening her eyes, enjoying the feel of the breeze from the open window, the warmth of the afternoon sun--

Wait. Afternoon?

Frey shot up, nearly falling from the cot as a wave of dizziness overtook her. “What time--”

“Frey? Are you awake?” came Nancy’s voice. Her heels clacked on the stairs as she appeared at the base, tossing Frey a smile. “Oh, wonderful. Glad to see you’re up. Take it easy for a few moments—you’re probably feeling weak after all that healing magic.”

Disoriented, Frey blinked. The other cot was empty, and so was the chair.

“Forte and Leon went home to get some rest,” Nancy said, coming to stand by her cot. “Forte had been up nearly two days, and Leon didn’t sleep the whole night.” Her eyes twinkled. “Those are some friends you’ve got. And they’re not the only ones.”

Frey followed her look and let out a helpless laugh at the sight before her. Piles and piles of little gifts were stacked on the table by her cot. An apple pie with a little purple ribbon would be Clorica’s work, and the protection charm looked like Kiel’s. A basket of fruit from Margaret, a jar of sugared peaches from Arthur, who’d seen her snack on them all too many times while working on his office floor. Pink cats in a vase from Amber and Ellie, a delicate knit hat with a note that simply read _Don’t catch a cold_ in Dolce’s flawless handwriting. Xiao Pia had left a pile of free bath tokens, and there was a take-home dish of delicious looking macaroni casserole with a card from Vishnal.

Frey picked up the card and grinned at the tiny footnote:

_P.S.: Volkanon helped make it, so don’t worry!_

P.S.S.: _Well, he mostly made it. He saw me cooking and took over--But I did help, and Volkanon said I learned from it! Please recover soon, Princess. We’re all supporting you! --Vishnal._

On the floor was a sack of cluckadoodle feed from Doug, and a bundle of flower seeds from Blossom. Even Bado had left a gift, a magic ring forged with a garnet, a stone known to restore vitality. Frey put Vishnal’s card down gently, moved beyond words.

Nancy looked at her knowingly. “Selphia is a special town, isn’t it? I’m so glad I found my way here.”

“Yeah,” Frey agreed. “It really is. I’m lucky to be here too.”

“Nancy, did--Oh, you’re awake,” Jones said, looking up from his clipboard as he walked in the front door. The bright summer sun followed until he shut the door on it, leaving Frey feeling restless.

“Barely,” Frey joked. “Hey Jones, thanks for taking care of me. What do I owe?”

Jones waved a hand as he walked to the table and began stacking little bundles of herbs into a sack. “Nothing, this time.”

“But I—“

“Frey, this wasn’t exactly a normal incident and it’s the least we can do, with how much you give Selphia,” Nancy cut in. “Plus, there was no blood involved, so it was easy on Jones.” She smiled playfully.

“Can’t say I disagree,” Jones said wryly.

“Well...okay,” Frey agreed. “Thank you.”

“Good. Now onto what’s next.” Jones turned and placed the sack of herbs on Frey’s cot. “How much do you remember from yesterday? I should check your vitals before you go, too.”

“Sure.” She looked up at the white ceiling as Jones placed his stethoscope on her back. “I remember everything up to passing out,” she said. “I know I was acting crazy, but at the beach...I was hearing voices, and I saw some things...I couldn’t sort it from real life.”

“Considering what happened, I’d say your reaction was perfectly reasonable,” Jones said. “Do you think your memories are coming back?”

Frey nodded, a sharp little gesture, and stared at nothing in particular. “Yeah. I think at least part of what I saw was real. But I don’t know why, and it wasn’t exactly on purpose.”

“Like we’ve said, your runes were well below safe levels,” Jones said seriously. “Have you been feeling drained? Were there any early signs of this?”

“Uh,” Frey started sheepishly. “Yeah. A little. Actually, I zoned out the other day and heard the same voices. Random scenes...it’s a bit blurry.” But yesterday’s vision, the face of her twin, remained in her mind clear as a crystal.

“Frey,” Nancy chided. “You’ve got to listen to your body and what it tells you. No one would’ve been upset if you missed a day of work.”

“I’m sorry,” Frey said. “Really. I just didn’t think it was a big deal. All sorts of strange magical things have happened to me that I didn’t understand. I’m a little _used_ to not understanding.” Frey’s eyes widened, realizing what she’d said. “Not that I mind too much,” she added hastily. “I love Selphia and everyone here. And I’ve dealt with worse. I’ll handle this, I promise.”

“I’m sure you will, but not alone,” Jones said. “Your runes have regenerated back to safe levels, but you’re not in the clear yet. Take these herbal bundles with you and eat one at the start of each day. They’re bitter, but they’re a magical combination that will encourage your runes to recharge throughout working hours.”

“And if you feel off, or dizzy or tired again, come _right back here_ ,” Nancy said with a mother’s stern tone.

“Okay,” Frey agreed, but the angle of the sun out the window caught her eye and she remembered the time. A glance at the clock revealed it was well past noon. “So I can get back to working then? The festival’s pretty soon, and my farm needs daily care.”

“If you pace yourself, I think you’ll be okay,” Jones agreed. “You should meet up with Leon later, when he wakes up. While you slept, he, Forte and I discussed your memory situation, and Leon agreed to help you if you need it.”

“Leon did?” Frey asked, a little surprised, though she guessed she shouldn’t be. He _was_ a priest in his time, and she knew that under all his antics, he was a solid friend who helped others whenever he could. His style was just usually more...indirect.

But, she supposed, this wasn’t a time for subtlety.

“Yes. Dolce might be able to help, too. The two of them are the most equipped in Selphia to navigate a spiritual matter like this.”

“Dolce is working on the ghost problem in Obsidian Mansion, right?”

“Yes,” Nancy said. “She came in _very_ late last night, apparently, almost bit Pico’s head off for making noise while you were sleeping, according to Leon. She was very concerned for you, even if she didn’t stick around to say so. You know how Dolce is.”

“I know. Plus, I’m sure if she’s in the middle of helping a ghost, she wanted to get back to it as soon as possible. That’s a time sensitive task, once it’s started.”

“She headed back out this morning, after leaving you that hat. Unless she had it laying around she must’ve gotten up early to make it,” Jones said, and Frey smiled fondly. “Besides those two, you’d be wise to speak with Ventuswill as well.”

Frey winced. Venti was _not_ gonna be happy with her neglecting her health. “Yeah, I’d better do that. Thanks, guys. I’ll find Leon and Dolce later.” Looking down at herself, she couldn’t help but snicker at her mane of bedhead and the now-wrinkled nightgown they’d given her. She’d really slept a long time. “But first I think I’d better clean up at home.”

 

Frey tried to get home without being seen. It wasn’t that she wanted to hide, but all she’d had to change into was her swimsuit from yesterday, so Nancy had lent her a casual dress meant for her own curvy figure. It hung limply on Frey’s small frame, looking more like a nightgown. That combined with the bedhead and bare feet was incentive enough to be sneaky.

Still, she was stopped by Blossom out for a walk, as well as Xiao Pai and a few new faces that had moved into the empty houses around town. She assured them she was fine, that she’d give more details later, that everything was alright. Given that she was hauling an armload of gifts with her, they let her be on her way without hassle.

Keeping a public face had never felt like a chore before, but she sagged in relief when she entered her room, closing the door quietly in hopes of keeping her arrival secret for a few minutes. Her room was connected to the castle chambers, though, so it was only a matter of time until chaos resumed.

 _Don’t be like that,_ she told herself. _They’re your friends and they’re worried. You would be too, in their shoes._

Usually she loved Selphia’s chaos, and did her fair share to keep busy. For now, though, she just wanted to center herself and check on her farm.

She also wanted a bath, but it would have to wait. For now, she went to her kitchen and turned on the sink, scrubbing her face and taming her hair. Back in her room, she dressed in a white linen blouse and brown shorts, tugging her hair into their signature high pigtails.

On her way out the door, she caught her reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall across from her bed. For some reason, the sight caught her off guard, as if her face were a foreign thing, as if she were somehow _different_ from the Frey who’d prepared for farmwork in this same way yesterday.

Drawn by the surreality, she drifted closer, until she was staring herself in the face.

Everything was as it should be, from her bright, round eyes to her summer tan. She stared, trying to find the change.

When she’d first bought this mirror, a girl had stared back, with a girl’s round face and cheeky smile.

Now the glass showed a woman, but did she feel like one? Her face had gotten a bit sharper, her body a little less coltish. She’d lived alone at seventeen regardless, but if people were built by experiences, what did that make her?

She’d become an adult here, lived out those key years in a blur. She’d put everything she had into her new role, into the town, into any project she could get her hands on.

Frey. _Princess_ Frey. Community leader Frey.

Frey, who could only remember four years back.

The face in the mirror got stranger and stranger until she felt she barely recognized it.

Who had she been as a girl, a preteen, a child? Who had raised her, been her friends? What was the rest of her name? Where did she call home?

Was it like Selphia, she wondered, or some place entirely different? Had she learned to fight there, to cast magic? Had she known, once, what it truly meant to be an earthmate?

These weren’t new questions. The same thoughts had dogged her thoughts for years, requesting her focus, demanding her panic. It’d been easy, back then, when everything was new and shiny and fast, to smile at the mirror and carry on, carry on, carry on. In that first year she’d had the guardians to save, and in the second was the crisis with the Sechs, plus her constant efforts for Venti’s sake. It’d only been three seasons since her final quest for Ventuswill. Rune Prana still stood intact, a problem in of itself.

But she’d had enough of problems for now. It’d been just three seasons since she’d finally saved the first friend she could remember.

“I’d do it again,” she told her reflection. “I _could_ do it again.”

She’d thought that after all that, maybe there’d finally be peace. Time to rest, time to enjoy the things she’d fought so hard to protect.

But maybe she’d lost herself in those quests for a reason. Maybe with nothing left to chase, there was nowhere left to run.

From the questions, from the past. From the gaping nothing it held.

Frey touched the mirror, willing her face to look familiar.

“Who are you?” she whispered. “What if I don’t wanna know?”

As she stared, the face in the mirror blurred in her mind, looking younger, with blonde hair and soft, intent eyes.

Lest.

A few bright lights glimmered around her like in the rune sea. Frey realized her hands were shaking. She spun from the mirror and slapped her cheeks, tugging on her boots with enough aggression that the runes disappeared.

 

The butlers had tended to her barns, Frey saw with relief. She hadn’t expected less of the capable castle keepers but was still grateful, since it was already nearing two p.m. and she hadn’t cared for her crops yet. On top of that she’d missed their evening care the night before.

Donning her gloves and grabbing her tools, Frey went about her work methodically, giving extra attention to any plant that had suffered from the summer heat. It looked like Vishnal had watered the crops this morning, since they weren’t as dry as they might’ve been if no one had come today, so now they just needed their second round of daily care. Frey hummed as she went, little tunes without lyrics, sounds that she really didn’t recall learning, but what else was new? She could do a _lot_ of things she couldn’t remember picking up.

The singing always encouraged the farm, she knew; plants that had been struggling perked back up under her attention and voice, and over the last few years, she’d noticed that they gave off what could only be described as _energy_ , just like all other living things. She’d brought it up with Ventuswill once, who’d told her it was likely her earthmate powers picking up on how the plants felt through rune signals.

“Spirit song has always been used to commune with runes and spirits and other things like that,” Venti had said. “It must just be one of those things you never forget, like how to talk.”

She wished she could remember the words to her songs, if there ever were any, and the proper ways to use them. For now, though, she made due with her humming.

By the time she was done, it was well into evening. Frey wiped the sweat from her forehead and laid her sickle down by the shed, peeling off her gloves just as Vishnal came out of the castle and stopped in his tracks.

“Princess!” he squeaked, then collected himself and made his way through the turnip field to her side. “Forgive me, I wasn’t aware you’d left the clinic, or I would’ve brought lunch out to you hours ago.”

“Don’t sweat it,” Frey said, leaning against the shed. The cicadas were singing, and the heat was beginning to break, though they still had a few hours left of daylight. Frogs chirped their discordant songs at the pond near the well, and a cool breeze had kicked up, carrying clouds from the east that promised rain. “Thank you for taking care of the farm for me, but you know how it is--I had to work the land myself,” Frey shrugged, smiling. “I came right here, after cleaning up a little. Which I may need to do again,” she added, noting the little scrapes along her legs from farm work. It wasn’t very smart to work with crops in shorts, but Frey really didn’t mind a few bumps and bruises, and it was hot enough out to justify it.

“Of course, it’s a butler’s duty to help his master or mistress with whatever needs done,” Vishnal said smoothly. “Either way, surely you’re hungry by now?” Frey had to hand it to him: even if he wore his heart on his sleeve, he usually managed to be polite and graceful anyway. He was a genuine person, which meant his manners and kindness were true to his nature, rather than just an act. With a character like that, what did it matter if he sometimes fumbled or couldn’t cook?

Oh. Wait. He couldn’t cook.

“Yeah, I could eat,” Frey admitted, stretching her arms above her head. “Thanks for the macaroni casserole, too! It looks good, but I think I’ll save it for tomorrow’s lunch. Is there anything already made for dinner at the castle?

“You’re welcome, Princess,” Vishnal said. His smile lit up his face, likely pleased to have been praised for something he even _helped_ to cook. “Well, Clorica has cleaning duties tonight and Volkanon left to work on bridge repairs in Yokmir Forest until tonight,” Vishnal said, tucking a strand of blue hair behind an ear. “It was my task today to care for your animals and crops.”

“I can make something for everyone,” Frey offered. She had some good fresh ingredients ready from the farm.

“I don’t know that you should be cooking for the castle,” Vishnal countered. “We were told to ensure you relaxed tonight. So, ah, perhaps…”

“Do you wanna get dinner at Porco’s?” Frey offered, amused. Privately, though, she was a little annoyed. This was exactly what she was worried about: everyone getting all protective, when she had so much to do.

It was his job, though, to make her life easier, and it couldn’t hurt to let her friends fuss over her a little after scaring them like that.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Vishnal agreed, visibly relieved. “Should we let the others know you’re back?”

That would have _everyone_ asking her questions. “Nah, let’s just stop by the butler’s quarters afterward.”

“That should be fine,” Vishnal said. “Shall we, then?”

 

It had _seemed_ like a good idea. Now, though, Frey wasn’t so sure. Even outside Porcoline’s door she could hear the hustle and bustle inside, the dinner rush at its height. She paused without knowing why.  

“Princess?” Vishal stopped with the door half-open, noting Frey’s hesitation. “Is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell again?”

“What? Oh. No, no, I’m fine,” Frey smiled, trying to play it off. “I wonder what the special is tonight?”

“I believe the main dish is smoked salmon,” he said, holding the door for her. Frey thanked him and took a breath as she stepped inside.

And smacked right into Dylas.

“ _Hey_ , be more careful--oh, Frey,” he said, looking a little panicked. “I’m, uh--I was just coming to get you.”

“It’s okay, I should’ve been looking.” Frey gave him a reassuring smile. Despite his harsh tone, he’d steadied her by the arm before even realizing who she was. Dylas always said one thing and meant another, but over the last few years, he’d warmed up considerably to the people of Selphia. If one paid attention, they’d see his natural reaction was to lend a hand when needed, even if he lacked the words to say so. “What were you coming to get me for?”

“Well,” he started, eyes flitting away from hers, “after what happened, Porcoline got it in his head that he was gonna make a big special meal for you. So he did, and sent me to tell you.”

“How thoughtful!” Vishnal exclaimed. “That’s a wonderful thing to do!” he looked briefly studious, perhaps wondering if he should be taking notes.

Frey grinned. Okay, even if she didn’t want everyone fussing, it wasn’t everyday a master chef made you dinner. Her stomach growled, loud enough that Vishnal hid a laugh behind his hand and Dylas cracked a toothy smirk.

“Get in here already if you’re so hungry,” Dylas said.

“In my defense, I haven’t eaten all day,” Frey said before she thought better of it.

A pause. Then, “ _Princess!_ ” and “ _What_?”

Vishnal looked aghast. “And you did all that work, too! I’m sorry if I’m overstepping, but you really should mind your health after yesterday.”

“Don’t worry,” Dylas said, looking an unlikely mix of worried, fond and down right pissed off. “She’s about to eat enough to make up for it.” Frey and Vishnal went quiet, as most people did when Dylas spoke freely. “And if she tries to weasel out I’ll tell Porcoline all about it.”

“Well, I didn’t mean I ate _nothing--_ ” she backpedaled uselessly.

“Get in here, Frey.”

Frey stepped inside without another word.

 

It seemed like half the town was at Porcoline’s. Outside, thunder rolled in in the distance, cresting over mountains miles away. The promise of a storm made the restaurant feel cozy and secure, and Frey found herself steered to a seat by a very enthusiastic chef.

“ _Marvelous hello,_ Frey. I’m so glad you’re out and about,” Porcoline cried, dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief. “It absolutely devastated me to hear you were ill, so I knew I must do something to make you feel all better!”

Frey grinned, amused by his theatrics. “Is there any left for me this time?” she joked--although there _was_ a slight risk he’d eaten the very meal he’d made for her. Porcoline was infamous for doing so, and whether it was intentional or not was anyone’s guess.

Dylas scoffed as he put a glass of fruit juice on the table. “I wouldn’t have let him do that tonight.”  

“It’s good to be attentive of your workplace,” Vishnal said lightly.

Porcoline pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. “I’m wounded. I slaved over this special meal for my one true love!” As he set down her plate, he added quietly, “If you don’t have enough time to cook yourself proper meals while you recover, we’ll take care of you here.”

“Porcoline,” Frey said, touched by his kindness. “Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do for our wonderful Princess! Ooh, and make sure to tell Dylas how he did on the dish,” Porcoline cooed. “He cooked with me all day, you see, absolutely determined to do something for you. He caught the fish for tonight’s main course, too!”

Dylas blushed, turning away with a scowl.

“He even muttered here and there about the taste and if it was good enough for you!”

“ _Porcoline_ ,” Dylas tried to growl, but instead he just sounded embarrassed.

“Enjoy, everyone.” Porcoline winked before twirling away to serve other guests.

Frey tried a piece of the salmon, eyes widening as she did. It was _perfect_. “Dylas, this is amazing!”

Vishnal said the same when he took a bite.

Dylas blushed harder, uncomfortable with direct praise. “You think?”

“ _Yes,_ ” Frey promised. “You’ve got a real talent here.”

“Maybe sometime you can give me pointers,” Vishnal mused.

“Um, maybe,” Dylas said. “That could be nice. Listen, we made it to help restore your strength, so make sure you eat all of it.”

“I will,” Frey assured him, and he nodded before going to help other patrons. Frey saw a tiny smile on his face as he turned, and she smiled, too.

Frey barely got through a few bites before Margaret spotted her and set down her harp, weaving through tables to reach her side.

“Frey, oh my gods,” Margaret said, looking like she was just _barely_ holding in a well-intentioned lecture. “Are you alright? I’ve been worried sick since yesterday.”

“I’m alright,” Frey promised.

“What happened?” Margaret pressed. “You’re not sick, are you? I was telling you to be careful of the summer heat just the other day, right? It’s been especially bad this year.”

“Don’t worry,” Vishnal cut in smoothly. “She’ll be well attended at the castle.”

Margaret looked a bit sheepish. “Oh, sorry, Vishnal,” she said. “Hi to you too, I hope you’re well. I know she’ll be okay, but I just can’t help but worry when she’s never had much more than a cold before and then she passed out like that.”

“Hello, Margaret,” Vishnal smiled. “I’m well, I hope you are too.”

“I’m good,” Margaret waved a hand dismissively, too focused on Frey to pay herself any mind. “Frey, really. What’s going on? Are you gonna be alright?”

“I’m fine, Meg. What happened was inevitable, when you think about it,” Frey said calmly. “I started having flashbacks of some kind, probably visions and memories. It’s not dangerous, I just need to spend some time sorting through the mess.”

Margaret opened her mouth, then closed it, at a loss for words. “Your memories?” she finally managed, a little too loudly. Frey toyed with her fork without really meaning to. “That’s huge, Frey!”

Beforehand she’d gone mostly unnoticed, swallowed in the crowd, but the sound of Margaret saying her name drew the attention of other patrons. Some were her friends, some were newer towns people, some were even just travelers and tourists, but they still all subtly turned to listen. Like a wave, focus swept toward her, eyes and ears all hellbent on the not-so-subtle act of eavesdropping.

Vishnal winced, watching Frey’s face.

“Oh, dear,” Margaret said, much quieter. “I’m sorry, Frey, I shouldn’t have reacted that way. I was just...you know, I love you and I was so worried.”

“It’s okay,” Frey said. She meant it; Margaret was a good friend, and Frey knew she hadn’t meant to be pushy. “I totally understand. I’ll fill you in on the details later, okay?”

“Okay, I should probably get back to the instruments before someone complains,” Margaret agreed.

“See you later, and thanks for the fruit!” Frey grinned. She still toyed with her fork, twirling it between her fingers on the table.

“Of course! I hope you enjoy them!” Margaret called as she went back to the little stage.

Still, Frey could feel people watching her. Of course they were; what had she expected? The town’s community leader had collapsed in the lake, had some fit where she fought against her friends and shouted for a brother no one knew existed. Not even her, minutes before then.

Frey put the fork down a little too hard, the clang startling Vishnal.

“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned. “If you’d like we could ask for a to-go box.”

“I am fine,” Frey told him firmly. “I’m honestly okay, Vishnal.”

Unconvinced, he made to protest, but the emblem on his sleeve started glowing.

“Oh,” he said, frowning. “That would be either Clorica or Volkanon’s summons. But I don’t know why they’d be calling now.”

“Should probably go see,” Frey said, stuffing an absolutely unlady-like amount of salmon into her mouth. “I can bring your leftovers home for you.”

“Well…” Vishnal looked torn, visibly assessing her.

“Really, I can handle it,” she said, vaguely amused. “Vishnal, we’re about two seconds from home.”

“Right,” Vishnal said. “Sorry, Princess, you must be feeling so smothered today.”

Huh. She’d never really thought of Vishnal as perceptive. Maybe she wasn’t acting as upbeat as she thought. “It’s alright,” she said for what felt like the hundredth time since sitting down. “I know it’s out of care. I’ll be fine, so you should go see what’s up at the castle.”

“Okay,” Vishnal agreed, still hesitant. “If you need anything later, you know how to call us.”

“Yep!” Frey raised a hand in farewell as Vishnal left.

Frey fully intended to eat her dinner, observed or otherwise. She made to do just that, even did a decent job of ignoring everyone’s eyes.

Then the whispers started.

None of them were her friends--they wouldn’t talk like she wasn’t right there. Tourists and newer townsfolk sneaked glances when they thought she couldn’t see, spoke in voices they thought were hushed or drowned out by the crowd around them.

The mind, however, had a way of picking its name out of a million other words, so Frey heard clear as day as a man two tables over asked, “Isn’t she the town princess?”

“Definitely,” said a finely-dressed woman. “I’ve attended one of her festivals. That’s her, Princess Frey.”

The man leaned forward. “You know, I heard something interesting about her.”

“Don’t be coy. It’s exhausting,” the woman sighed. “What was it?”

“Fine, fine. I heard that she collapsed at the lake yesterday.”

“What? I didn’t hear that.”

“I swear, it’s what I heard. Apparently she had a seizure or something and they took her to the clinic.”

Someone else chimed in, “It’s true. No one knows details, and the dragon’s being real testy with anyone who asks.”

Frey didn’t envy anyone trying to pry gossip from Venti about her friends. That people even had the nerve was one of the few downsides of Venti’s choice to become closer with people again.  

“You should show more respect for the divine dragon,” another man disapproved. “I can’t believe anyone troubled her with nonsense like this.”

“But it’s strange. The people who were there are being secretive too,” said the first man.

“Midsummer festival’s in just a few weeks,” another mused. “You think it’ll get cancelled?”

“I don’t know. It’s hard to believe a lass that young even has the position. She’s just a girl, honestly.”

Frey tried not to listen, drumming her fingers on the table. The next few lines she missed as the table between them erupted in laughter at some joke she hadn’t heard.

Then, “Hey, come on. That ‘girl’ apparently played a huge role in stopping the Sechs invasion.”

The man snorted. “Sure. And I’m a magic guardian, awake after centuries for a perfect happy ending!”

“Don’t talk that way about the guardians,” the other man said. “They gave up everything to protect this place. Haven’t you ever read a _book_?”

“All I’m saying,” the first man said, “is things have _always_ been a little strange around here, ever since I started taking the trade routes through Selphia, and I’ve heard some fishy things about that princess.”

“Yeah, like what?”

Frey braced herself.

“Like how apparently her hometown isn’t public knowledge, for one.”

Oh, dear.

“Who cares about that?” the woman asked, exasperated.

”Look, I’m just saying it’s strange, alright? And when things get rough, it’ll be us who takes the fall if she can’t fulfill her role.”

Fog filled her mind, a feeling too quickly becoming familiar. Frey’s heart raced. Here? Now? What was she gonna do?

She blinked and saw runes in the restaurant, heard voices through water.

 _It’ll be us who take the fall if you fail. Frey is needed_ here.

 _No, I need her with me--I can’t do this alone. Besides, she’s free to make her own choices, isn’t she?_ That was Lest’s voice, she realized. She knew it from her vision at the lake.

_No one said she isn’t, but it’s not that simple! If she can’t do what she was trained to do, who will?!_

 

“Frey.” A low voice cut through the others, and the runes dispersed like motes of dust in the air. “Hey. _Frey._ ”

“Wha…” Frey blinked away the sea to find Dylas standing at her table. “Oh. I’m sorry, Dylas, I just…”

“Here.” Dylas offered Frey his hand.

“Dylas?” Frey asked, but his eyes were hard, cast on the table that had been gossiping about her. Throat tight, Frey took his hand. His gauntlets were on, warm to the touch.

“Come on,” he said, giving her a little tug. She left her seat, left her unfinished meal next to Vishnal’s.

 _I told him I’d bring it home,_ she thought, but so many eyes found her as she rose that she let Dylas lead her away from the crowd. He opened a door to a dark room and ushered her in ahead of him. When he shut the door, she felt the eyes cut off from her as a physical relief.

Dylas released her hand. The room was pitch black; with a little _click_ , Dylas flipped on the lights to reveal a private little dining area. The air was still enough that no one could’ve been in here tonight.

“I’ve never been back here,” Frey said. There were vases of wildflowers and lovely table cloths, a cello on a stand in the back and a record player in the corner. “It’s really nice.”

“It’s a room guests can reserve for private dates and parties,” Dylas said. “You can stay back here for a few. If you want to.”

Frey leaned against the wall, drawing her arms in and sighing. “Thanks, Dylas. I’m alright, I just...I don’t know what that was. It’s…”

“The staring,” Dylas said. Frey looked up and found him looking back at her, arms crossed casually. “I get it. I can’t stand it either, getting stared at. And that table was way out of line. If I didn’t have you to worry about I’d have thrown them all out.”

Frey laughed--she couldn’t help it.

“What?” Dylas demanded.

“Nothing,” she said, rubbing her eyes. She was tired, she realized. So tired. “I was just thinking what a good friend you are.”

Dylas fell silent, looking away. Then, “People stared a lot at me when I woke back up. The guardian thing...it was legendary even in my time, since the other three came before me.”

Frey said nothing, letting him finish his line of thought.

“People talked. They thought they were so sneaky, but I was just a few tables away, and these things hear well if nothing else,” Dylas huffed with a gesture at his horse-like ears. “It was so damn annoying, I hated it. So, you just looked like you could use a hand, that’s all.”

Frey’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment. Then she looked at Dylas and smiled wide.

“ _What?”_ he repeated helplessly. “What’s that look for?”

“You just made me realize something, that’s all,” she shrugged.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. That it doesn’t matter what some random strangers say or think,” she told him. “Even if rumors spread all over Norad. What matters are my friends, and the people who make Selphia special.”

Dylas was silent for a few moments. Frey didn’t mind; his presence was calming, and she’d relaxed entirely when he finally said, “Yeah. You’re right.”

“It’s been a crazy day,” Frey said, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m already tired and it’s not even fully dark.”

“Oh yeah, speaking of that.” Dylas said. “Did you finish the food?”

“Uh…”

“Frey,” he warned.

“I wanted to. It was really good! You’re the one who pulled me away!” Frey laughed.

“Uh. Well.” He froze. “Ugh, shut up! I’ll just make you more!”

Frey kept laughing, and to her surprise, Dylas laughed a little too. It was a breathy, relieved little sound, and Frey realized she must’ve had him worried as well. Taking care of others might be how Dylas expressed it, since he struggled with words.

“Thanks, Dylas, I’ll make sure to eat properly,” Frey promised.

“Yeah, you’d better.”

There was a soft knock on the door, the polite sort that could only belong to one person. Sure enough, after Frey said “Come in”, Arthur entered the room, expression curious as he saw them alone.

“Hi, I wonder if I could borrow Frey for a few moments?” he asked. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?’

“No,” Dylas said quickly. “I mean, it’s not like that.”

“I just needed a sec to clear my head and Dylas helped me out,” Frey said easily. “What’s up, Arthur?”

Satisfied, Arthur said, “It’s nothing too urgent, but Kiel’s in my office with some information I think you’ll want to hear sooner rather than later.”

“Okay,” Frey said. “Let’s go hear it.”

 

Thunder rolled outside as they entered Arthur’s office, where Kiel stood talking with Leon.

“Hey guys,” Frey said at the same time Dylas said, “Leon too?”

“Hey,” Leon greeted. He didn’t seem too tired. “Kiel woke me up to see if I could tell him anything about the old tower.”

“Well, if I’d known you were up all night I would’ve waited,” Kiel shrugged. “But no one gave me any updates on the situation.”

“Isn’t that because you’d tell everyone you saw?” Leon asked.

“I guess that’s fair,” Kiel allowed, entirely unabashed. Leon raised his eyebrows, but Kiel continued, “Heya, Frey. I hope you’re feeling up to this, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“How about you let me in on what ‘this’ is, and then I’ll tell you,” Frey joked, moving to join them near the desk, Arthur and Dylas close behind.

With the five of them forming a circle around the desk, Kiel leaned forward. “Okay, I’ll get right to it then. I was out foraging for some supplies earlier today when I noticed something very unusual going on around Leon Karnak.”

“Do tell,” Leon said dryly.

“Leon Karnak _Tower,”_ Kiel amended. “I suppose you must have called it something else before it took on your name, huh?”

“That’s right,” Leon nodded.

“What was it called?” Arthur asked curiously. He’d started sorting papers around them, but Frey didn’t doubt he was still fully tuned into the conversation. She’d seen what a multitasking beast he was when she worked in his office.

Leon’s ears twitched. “We just called it the earthmate tower when I was a kid.”

“Anticlimactic,” Dylas said.

Leon just shrugged. “Well, in those days, the whole place was essentially abandoned. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that work started up there again, and we weren’t exactly let in on the fun. Those earthmates were a secretive lot.”

“Secretive still,” Frey agreed. “Enough so that we haven’t been able to trace where I came from, not a hint in the last four years.”

“Actually, that disappearance was rather recent as far as history is concerned,” Arthur said. “Earthmates have become increasingly rare, and the one remaining official tribe scattered to avoid Ethelberd’s attention a few years back. As for the tribe that used to live in Selphia...Frey and I have already discussed this, but for the rest of you, that one vanished a century and a half ago.”

“That’s when Dylas became a guardian, right?” Kiel asked. Frey glanced at Dylas, but he didn’t seem bothered.

“Right,” Dylas said.

“Did you know the earthmates?” Leon asked.

“Uh, not any better than anyone else,” Dylas said. “One of them was town royalty at the time, ran the castle farms. I didn’t really talk to any of them until they came to me about helping Venti.”

Frey didn’t know all the details, but she’d been told by Arthur that history’s writings of how Dylas became a guardian weren’t pleasant. Though he’d been willing, he hadn’t had much of a choice; faced with the decline of the kingdom’s chief defender Ventuswill, the High King of Norad had decided a new guardian was necessary at all costs. Venti had been weak enough that she’d slept days at a time, enough to miss the entire event when Dylas was chosen and captured.

When she’d awoken, all hell broke loose.

Arthur nodded. “As this was the fourth guardian made, Ventuswill would’ve already been upset enough, but the coercion is apparently what really set her off.”

“I would think so,” Leon said, ears flattening. He seemed angry at the very idea. “That wasn’t a choice to be forced upon him.”

“It’s fine,” Dylas said, seeming a bit uncomfortable, though perhaps more so at the attention than the subject. “I could’ve gotten away if I really wanted. But she needed me.”

Leon and Dylas briefly locked eyes, something passing between them that no one else in the room could really grasp.

“Anyway,” Leon continued--taking the attention off Dylas, Frey realized. “So then Venti kicked the earthmates out of Selphia, which is why she was so hesitant to have either earthmates or high royalty as community leaders until she agreed to let Arthur take the role for whatever reason.”

“Exactly,” Arthur said. “Have you read on this, or did Ventuswill catch you up?”

Leon’s ears twitched again. “Read, of course. She doesn’t need everyone digging up painful memories. Besides, I’d be a fool not to take advantage of the sheer amount of books being produced these days.”

“Not having to hand-write really speeds things along,” Kiel agreed. “So, Leon Karnak Tower--or the earthmates’ tower--was built long before even Leon was born.”

“Centuries before,” Leon added.

“Wow,” Dylas said. “Surprised it’s not just dust by now.”

“That’s just the thing.” Kiel was excited, a light in his eyes that spelled _discovery._ “Of course the tower has been examined again and again over the last thousand years. Mages, historians, anthropologists--lots of groups had reason to be interested. But nobody could get inside, and about five hundred years ago the entire area got declared officially unsafe and banned from up-close study. That didn’t stop people, of course, but people that went looking didn’t come back, probably because of Sarcophagus.”

 _Kiel can be a bit blunt,_ Frey thought. Then again, if there was a problem to solve, there was no use beating around the bush. Leon showed no sign of being bothered anyway.

“Then in the decades after, the place partially fused with the Forest of Beginnings,” Kiel continued. “It’s likely the other three rune springs would’ve done the same, if they’d had time.”

“What are you getting at?” Leon asked.

Kiel turned to Frey, pointing at Leon. “After you woke him up and replaced him with the rune sphere, the Forest detangled with the tower, right?”

“That’s what I was told,” Frey agreed. “Though it’s a little outside my area of expertise.” If she even had one, besides the intuitive knowledge of farming and fighting. “Requests have been made by several groups to come study the tower after that, but Arthur, Venti and I denied it because it’s just too unstable there still. Venti says the runes are a little wild, as if they were changed by the Forest. It might be a long time before they’re fully refreshed.”

“The theory is that the tower’s fusion was a natural result of the guardian--Leon--acting as an unintentional bridge between the rune spring and the Forest over time. That fusion is also probably what caused the guardians to shift into monsters. But with the guardians removed, that bridge is gone too,” Kiel said.

“You’ve done your homework,” Leon said. “I’m guessing this information is about to become relevant.”

“The only ones who have been up that tower and come back in living history are you, Frey, and Ventuswill,” Kiel told him.

“I was a bit indisposed,” Leon reminded him.

“And Venti was only there for a minute, to get me out of the Forest,” Frey said.

“Ah, right, when you tried to play martyr,” Leon said. “As much as Venti had tired of _that,_ I imagine you got an earful for it.”

Dylas snorted. “I bet.”

“You’re not wrong,” Frey said. “Worth it, though, to get you guys back and make everything right again. Kiel, why does it matter?”

“Because you’re the only ones who can tell us what might be going on inside there,” Kiel said.

“Enough with the cryptic bullshit,” Dylas finally snapped. “Just get to the point already.”

Unbothered, Kiel said, “I can’t see runes like Ventuswill or other powerful runic beings can, but I have a device that allows me to _read_ runes so I can search for the best supplies by hand. Check this out.” Kiel took a hand-held machine from the pouch on his belt, showing it to Frey. There were a few odd dials on it, and a black screen with lines of various colors.

“I have no idea what this means,” Frey said, “but it _looks_ interesting.”

“It’s enchantments combined with tech so mortals like us can do more accurate magic,” Kiel said. “Yesterday morning, I was out with this, looking for materials for some crafting, using it to test the runes for higher quality materials. I wasn’t that close to the tower, maybe a few miles off, but--”

“That’s awfully close for somewhere so dangerous,” Frey interrupted. “By yourself?”

“Well, uh,” Kiel paused, nearly knocked off his rhythm. “I--the point is, a _crazy_ wave of runic power came and knocked my device’s feed to static for nearly a minute. When I tracked the coordinates, it came from Leon Karnak Tower. I cast escape and came back to town, just to be safe. I was going to talk to you guys about it when everyone was done swimming, but then everything else happened.”

“Don’t think we’re letting it go that you went there alone,” Leon said. “For now, though. What does that mean?”

“I have no idea,” Kiel admitted. “I know the history, and I’ve read the theories the old earthmate tribe made public knowledge before they left, but beyond that I’ve got nothing. That’s why I wanted to ask you guys.”

“Frey,” Arthur asked. He’d been quiet, listening. “I understand that three seasons ago you sealed off that tower yourself.”

Frey pressed a hand to her mouth, thinking fast. “Yeah, because of Rune Prana.”

“What exactly _was_ that?” Kiel asked.

“A path, sort of, inside the tower,” Frey explained. “A phantom version of Sarcophagus, formed by the runes that had imprinted the memory of Leon there, guarded the doorway.”

“Wow,” Kiel said.

“That was just the beginning of the phantoms the Forest formed,” Frey said. “I don’t really understand it myself, but somehow Rune Prana led me to where Venti was in the Forest. I was able to kind of feel it out, like I somehow knew what paths to take in that maze.”

“Probably because it was built by earthmates,” Kiel offered. “Maybe it was made for your kind to navigate.”

Frey nodded. “That’s what I thought too. But the place was so dangerous, and Venti said it was unstable afterward. I sealed the door with a spell to keep anyone from wandering in. I don’t think they’d come back if they did, and...well...”

“Did you experience anything unusual in there?” Arthur prompted gently.

Oh, yes. There she’d had visions just like yesterday’s, voices drifting from the rune sea, speaking of her mission to deliver the rune sphere, of the efforts the earthmates had gone through to create it. The purpose of omnigate, the usage of etherlink. They’d said nothing of her past, and she’d since tried to wring it from her mind. It was no use, torturing herself with the almost-answers, not when she knew she’d never get the rest of the story. Or so she’d thought.

But could she tell them any of that? The experience had been so unsettling, so bizarre that even she wondered sometimes if it had all been real. Rune Prana’s paths had been twisted, dark and dangerous, with high-level monsters of all kinds waiting around corners, among other, less tangible things like the voice that had whispered a hint of her past. Was she crazy for hearing that? Would they believe her?

Frey decided on a safer answer for now. “Definitely. It’s a strange place, and honestly best left alone. What was the range of the runic surge, Kiel?”

“I think it fizzled out a bit past where I was, so nowhere near town,” Kiel said. “And I got checked by Jones, but it doesn’t seem to have affected me negatively. I didn’t really feel it, might not have noticed if not for my runic sensor.”

“I don’t like it,” Dylas said. “Something feels off.”

“I have to agree,” Arthur said. He kept moving papers, the rustling of loose leaf backdropped by growing thunder and noises from the restaurant. “It seems like too much of a coincidence for this to have happened the same day you had your first memory flashback in four years.”

“Yeah, plus I’m worried about what’s going on in that tower,” Frey said seriously. “Especially if it might affect the town. I’ll have to go check out the situation.”

Everyone protested at once, followed by a moment of silence as they all tried to make sense of what had been said.

“I’m taking that as general disapproval,” Frey said lightly.

“I’d say so, considering things,” Leon said, hiding half his face with his fan. “I understand your reasons, but maybe it’d be best to give it a few days.”

“Yeah,” Dylas agreed. “It’s not worth getting yourself hurt.”

“At the very least you could ask Jones his opinion,” Arthur offered diplomatically, trying to hide his worry.

“Plus you shouldn’t go alone,” Kiel said, only to laugh sheepishly as everyone cast him incredulous looks.

“Look who’s talking,” Dylas scoffed.

“I know you guys are right, but maybe we can keep this from Forte for now?” Kiel tried. At Leon’s mischievous look he added, “She’s stressed enough as it is, so if I promise not to do that again can we leave it at that?”

“Aw,” Leon said. “No fun. Fine, I’ll play along this time.”

“Still, no one should be going around there alone, especially after this,” Arthur said.

“Well, I’ve got this, at least.” Frey pulled the charm Kiel had given her from her pocket.

“Hey, good,” Kiel said. “I did my best with crafting it.”  
“I can tell, thank you,” Frey smiled. “For now, guys, I promise not to go alone and not to go before I can handle it. Good?”

No one could argue with that, yet no one seemed pleased, either. A look out the window showed Frey it was now fully dark, and her fatigue hit all at once.

“Good,” Frey said. “Thanks for telling me this, Kiel. Guys, I’ve got an early start in the morning, so I’m gonna go to the bathhouse and then to sleep. We can revisit this tomorrow.”

They all said goodnights, but Leon fell into step beside her as she made to leave.

“I’m going back for the night anyway,” Leon said at her questioning look. “I’ll walk you there.”

 

Outside, the lanterns were glowing and the air was tense with the promise of storms. A few raindrops hit the stone pavement while frogs and cicadas sang in delight. Frey could sense, too, that the plants lining the path were happy for the coming rain after so many hot days. Glancing at them, she saw patterns of runes within the leaves glowing blue and bright.

Most mortals couldn’t see runes without magic or tech to aid them--that’s what Kiel had just said. Yet she’d been seeing them on and off since yesterday. What did it mean?

“You coming?” Leon asked.

“Yep,” Frey said, turning from the mystery and bending down to pull off her boots.

“Some reason you took off your shoes, or is that just the new style?” Leon said, amused.

“You’re one to talk, seeing as you never wear shirts,” Frey said. “No reason. I just like how the ground feels.” It was warm stone beneath her feet, and the connection made her feel grounded. Solid. She started off toward the inn, swinging the shoes in her hand.

“I can appreciate that,” Leon said, walking beside her. Even now he was just in some sandals, tan pants and a brown vest. “You know, I wondered if I’d dress more modern eventually, but I never did grow fond of layers.”

“Seems breezy. Maybe I’ll start going shirtless, too.”

Leon paused before realizing she was kidding. “Troublemaker,” he said. “Fine by me, but you might give your butlers heart attacks.”

Frey grinned. It had been like this between them since they met: rounds of mischief and banter. Some people thought he was mean; maybe he was, but Frey thought he was usually just trying to make life a little more fun. “How did women dress in your time, anyway?”

He tapped his fan to his chin. “Actually, in my time it wouldn’t have been a shock to see a woman in next to nothing. The climate was hotter back then, you see.”

“Is that true?”

“Not a word of it,” Leon grinned. “Why, did you believe me?”

Frey laughed and gave him a friendly shove. “I know better than to just take your word for anything.”

“You wound me,” Leon deadpanned, but Frey just laughed more. “My, my, our princess has such barbed words.”

“Selphia has a unique definition of princess,” Frey said. “I can’t name another government position that has “farmer” as a requirement.”

“Perhaps they should. Honest work creates honest communities.”

Frey raised an eyebrow at him, but he was looking ahead. Even at their leisurely pace, they’d nearly reached the inn. The mood, light and impish, suddenly felt heavy.

There were times she’d catch Leon spacing out, moments he’d grow solemn or thoughtful at things she couldn’t predict. She guessed the cause was memories, of a time and people long gone, but he’d always cleverly deflected any attempts to get him to open up. Others pestered him sometimes; he responded with tricks or humor to redirect. Frey had noticed this some time ago and decided he’d open up when and if he felt like it, and had the right to decide with whom he spoke of such things.

And maybe, if he ever caught _her_ staring off into space, or noticed her avoiding talk of her own past, he returned the favor. Frey didn’t mind her friends’ worry, but it was so _unpleasant_ to speak of problems no one could solve, like her amnesia. That was part of what made friendship with Leon so easy: no questions, plenty of fun.

So now, when she thought he was about to break that unspoken treaty, Frey spoke first. “Thanks for helping me yesterday,” she said. “And for staying.”

His eyes stayed ahead, but an ear turned toward her. He slowed his pace, so Frey did too. “That’s not something you should thank me for,” he said.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t need thanks for doing the right thing.”

“Too bad,” she shrugged. “I’m gonna anyway, and Forte too, whenever she wakes up.”

“Fine, but you can’t make me accept.” Leon unfurled his fan, a habit Frey thought he used to hide his expression. He did so now, slowing to a stop as he said, “By the way, I’m impressed with your stamina.”

“Yeah? How’s that?” Frey also stopped; they were nearly to the inn now, the streets empty. A few more raindrops fell--they’d need to head in soon or they’d get caught in the storm. She felt restless, cornered somehow, though she knew that was ridiculous.

“Enduring everyone’s meddling all day,” he said, and even if his mouth was hidden, his eyes were smiling. “I might not have been so patient.”

Frey huffed a laugh. “Yeah, but I’d be just as worried if it happened to one of them instead. Love’s funny that way, y’know?”

“Mmm. So, what will you do about it?”

“What? Love?”

“No, your visions.” He said it so easily that Frey could only blink as he continued, “Didn’t you realize you have a choice in the matter?”

“Well,” Frey said, buying time. Leon allowed it, turned his head toward her to listen. “I don’t know. I know I don’t really bring it up, but I really have...wondered.” It was a struggle to get the words out, but Leon didn’t tease. He just waited for the rest. “About my past, that is. But we could never get any solid information, and no one’s come forward to claim me as family or anything...seems like after all that pining for information, I’d be an idiot not to go for it when I’ve got a real chance. Right?”

Leon shrugged. “I couldn’t say. I will say this: if you come to me for my help as a priest, I’ll give it to you, but that’s your choice.” He snapped his fan shut, meeting her eyes. “You have the option to take up the quest, but no one can rightly cast judgement if you decide not to. It’s your past, and yours alone. Those are my words to you as your friend.”

As much as Frey had liked keeping their friendship light, at those words, she realized how much she’d needed to hear them.

Then a sudden, rolling _boom_ of thunder crashed right overhead, and the sky opened up on them. They both jumped, eyes wide as rain came pouring down, soaking them almost instantly in a way only summer storms ever did.

“Inside!” Frey shrieked, pointing to the inn, her voice drowned out by the torrent.

They raced the last few yards to the inn, the night dark and the rain warm. Frey’s bare feet slapped against the ground, where the water turned to steam on stones still clinging to a day of sunlight.

At the steps, Frey couldn’t help but throw her arms up and laugh, doing a little twirl with her face turned up toward the rain. She cheered at it, and the thunder called back, loud enough that her voice was swallowed and lost in the darkness.

A hand took her wrist and tugged her up the steps, playful and light. Leon opened the door and they zipped in, bright blue lightning flashing behind them with another clap of thunder. A whipping wind surged into the inn, and Frey hit the door with both hands to shut it against the force.

“Oh my!” Lin Fa startled at the front desk. “What bad luck for you two!”

Frey looked at Leon and saw his silver hair plastered to his back, neck and face, where he tried to wipe water from his eyes. She knew she looked much the same, the boots in her hand filled with rain like a bucket.

“You really _are_ a troublemaker,” he muttered, and when he flicked his ears, water shook off in every direction. “Ah--sorry, Lin Fa.”

Frey burst into laughter, the kind which couldn’t be contained, until she was doubled over by it and had to rest an arm on the door frame.

“What’s so funny?” Leon tried, but when she flipped her mint-green hair from her face and set down her sloshing boots, he cracked up, too. She’d never heard him lose it like that, his laughter straight from the chest.

Lin Fa watched with amusement as the two of them fell into brief but total hysterics, a small puddle forming on the floor beneath them. After nearly a minute, they calmed down, and Leon struggled to collect himself.

“I’ll--” he snickered as Frey fought a tie from her tangled hair, “I’ll clean up after us, Lin Fa. Sorry for the trouble.”

“No, you two need warm baths or you’ll catch colds,” Lin Fa said, a hand pressed to her smile. “It’s good to see you kids having fun like that anyway---reminds me of good memories with my husband.”

“Mama, what’s going on--oh!” Xiao Pia padded down the stairs, muffling a laugh at the sight. “It seems you two got caught in a summer shower, yes?”

“No,” Leon said. “We got pulled into Keeno Lake by an unruly monster shrimp.”

“Uh-huh,” Xiao Pai said. Frey figured Xiao was so used to Leon that his jokes had worn off. “Well, it’s a little late, but of course either of you is welcome to warm up in the baths--they should still be good to go. Oh! Frey! You got our gift of free tokens, yes?”

“I did,” Frey said, calming down. Still, the wake of laughter left her body feeling light and full of warmth. “Thanks for those, I really appreciate it. But I left them at my place, sorry.”

Lin Fa waved a hand. “No, we’re just glad to see you bounce back so well after yesterday. Please make yourself at home, and don’t worry about the rain water, I’ve got it.”

Leon hesitated, then nodded. “Alright, if that’s okay. Thank you, Lin Fa.”

 _He’s awfully serious with her,_ Frey noticed. _Maybe a respect-your-elders type thing._

Frey and Leon walked up the stairs, careful not to slip, and parted ways at the bath doors.

“See you soon, Princess,” he said with a goofy wink before disappearing into the men’s bath.

“'Princess' seems like a demotion from 'troublemaker',” Frey said. Xiao Pai laughed and Frey waved at her with a grin.

Inside the women’s bath, the air was warm and steamy, and as she sank into the water, a sigh escaped her, along with a day’s worth of worry and tension.

 

By the time she got out, Xiao Pai and Lin Fa were in their rooms and Leon was either in his or still in the bath. The lights were dimmed, and a note was on the door that read:

_Frey, we’re closed up for the night, but the door will lock itself behind you. Please come back anytime you need refreshed. We’re both supporting you!_

_\--Lin Fa & Xiao Pai _

Frey smiled and grabbed her things, opening the door quietly to see that the rain had slowed to a sprinkle, the thunder rolling away to some other town. Breathing the fresh night air and the lovely scent of rain, she dumped the water from her boots and headed home.

There, she checked in with the butlers--all of whom were asleep except Volkanon--then tiptoed past a snoring dragon.

Or tried to, anyway. Ventuswill cracked open an eye like a cat at Frey’s third step. “Is that you, Frey?” she asked sleepily.

“Yes,” Frey whispered. “Go back to sleep, Venti.”

“But I’ve been waiting to talk to you all day!” she protested. Even so, her voice was groggy, and Frey knew she’d easily fall back asleep. An enchantment kept the rain from falling through the open roof, and Frey heard it pitter-pattering against the spell like a tarp. “I’ve been worried, you know. Are you going to ignore a god so easily?”

Frey smiled at the grumpy joke, though she felt a pang of guilt as well. “I’m sorry, I wanna talk to you too--just, a lot happened today. I promise to come see you first thing in the morning,” she said.

“Well, alright,” Ventuswill sighed, tucking her nose under a wing. “Just so long as you do.”

“I will,” Frey promised. “Night, Venti.”

“Mmm. Night, Frey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy. It's been a while, huh? One day shy of eleven months. 
> 
> The last year was long, but I didn't forget this story. Between the original draft of this chapter getting lost and other roadblocks, I'm pleased that chapter 2 now exists in full. Thank you to everyone who left comments or kudos or otherwise acknowledged it; those emails made me want to come back and continue the project. :)
> 
> I really hope you enjoy--I intend to update again much sooner this time.  
> Cheers to RF5's announcement!


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